Why the WBA is a Joke #346

[Lance Uppercut]

From Dan Rafael of ESPN.COM/BOXING


"The WBA is at it again. Not too long after it finally sorted out its disgusting cruiserweight mess of having three so-called champions in the same weight class, the banditos are at it again. Last year, if you recall, the WBA listed three titleholders in the cruiserweight division: David Haye as "super champion"; Virgil Hill as "regular champion"; and Firat Arslan as "interim regular champion." Finally, Arslan beat Hill and we're back to "only" two titleholders. But now the WBA is looking to screw up the junior bantamweight division by perpetrating another atrocity on the boxing public by giving us another three-titleholder weight class. This time the lineup will include unified titleholder Cristian Mijares (the "super champion"); the winner of the July 26 vacant "interim regular" title bout in the Philippines between A.J. Banal and Rafael Concepcion; and the winner of the Sept. 15 vacant "regular" title match in Yokohama, Japan, between Nobuo Nashiro and Kohei Kono. Are you kidding me? I beg, I plead, for WBA president Gilberto Mendoza Sr. to stop the madness, but he won't. He's too busy collecting sanctioning fees. That's what this is all about and it's an absolute disgrace and a farce. And you wonder why boxing is such a joke to some people? Welcome to exhibit A."

[HOMETOWN CHAMP]

yeah the WBA needs to stop being greedy and get there act together

[Hulk]

Yeah this is total bullshit. "Super" champions. PLEASE.

[p4pking]

Course it's BS. But is also has to say something about the sport that they are not only able to get away with it, but worthy fighters are actually interested in fighting for all 3 belts from the same sanctioning body?

[CutMeMick]

I sware lance you kill me with these threads..

But I gotta you for always bringing this up and putting it out there it is def. a farce.

As if Mijares deserves to have 2 people overshadowing his work...

[TheChosenOne]

letting john ruiz be their champion was the biggest joke of all.

[Lance Uppercut]

The WBA has inexplicably created an interim title in their bantamweight division despite Anselmo “Chemito” Moreno fulfilling his mandatory challenges.

What is their official reason: "[WBA president]Mendoza said WBA regulations allow for an interim title fight "if there are economic benefits to the parties involved."

WTF?

The WBA is garbage.

WBA explains interim fight! | Fightnews - Boxing News Updated 24/7

[killersheep]

If we all pretend really hard that the WBA doesn't exist, will it come true?

[Spicoli]

Are they still doing that azznine "Youth" Championship gimmick.Anything for a tinfoil trincket and a buck.

[killersheep]

Are they still doing that azznine "Youth" Championship gimmick.Anything for a tinfoil trincket and a buck.

Not long now til we see the Interim Senior League WBA Intercontinental Champion of Pangea belts.

[Mikkel_K]

Are they still doing that azznine "Youth" Championship gimmick.Anything for a tinfoil trincket and a buck.

That's the WBC, no?

As for the post by Dan Rafael - calling this exhibit A is being very, very nice to the WBA! For one, they just recently screwed up with their Welterweight title, as they had Antonio Margarito as Super Champ (just double-checked, he is still listed as that!) after he had unified the IBF and the WBA title, and Yuri Nuzhnenko as the regular champ (he was interim champ, then promoted after Margarito's unification).

Problem is Margarito didnt even hold the IBF title anymore - Clottey does, winning the vacant title vs. Judah - and Mosley only holds one title now. Wherefore the whole concept of Super Champ doesnt make sense, and in reality you're stuck with two regular champs! So the current WBA World Champion at 147 is officially both Shane Mosley and Yury Nuzhenko

Btw: Read about this last week, but decided to just double-check on the WBA homepage. Two other wonderful bits to share:

Valuev is the WBA World Champion at HW. Chagaev (listed above Valuev) is the WBA Champion in Recess (!).

Yosuke Kobori is listed as the WBA World Champion at Lightweight. Nate Campbell on the other hand is the Undisputed WBA World Champion. I kid you not! What the fuck is up with that title?

And then at 122, Ricardo Cordoba is listed as the WBA World Champion, while Celestino Caballero is the WBA Unified Champion.

Now just to make it even funnier Vic Darchinyan is the Unified WBA Champion at 115 (as opposed to Caballero being WBA Unified Champion). I mean seriously, how many categories do they have, or are they just plainly too incompetent to even themselves understand their system?